This invention relates to a method for use in cleaning the hull of a small boat.
Small boats employed on inland waterways often suffer from a build-up of materials such as algae, silt and slime whose build-up both detracts from the performance of the boat and from its appearance. As a result, such boats must be cleaned periodically.
In order to prevent or inhibit the development of this problem various measures may be taken such as the use of anti-fouling paints. However, the most common practice is to clean the boat hull mechanically at periodic intervals to remove the accumulated materials and to restore the boat to its original appearance.
A number of attempts have been made to develop implements or methods for cleaning a boat hull while the boat remains submerged in the water. Examples of devices developed for this purpose are U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,533 issued to Sterling on Feb. 12, 1991 for "Boat Bottom Cleaning Device" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,213 issued to Evans on Oct. 4, 1983 for "Cleaning Implement for Boats." The difficulty inherent, however, in cleaning a boat while the boat remains in the water are obvious. It has been a common practice, therefore, to clean boat hulls after they have been removed from the water by either using mechanical implements to remove the accumulated material or to use acid based hull cleaners or a combination of the two. The use of acid based hull cleaners presents a significant hazard to those who use this cleaning material and its efficiency is inconsistent when used on various types of boat hulls and various accumulated fouling materials.